How many times have you thought the same thing - "nothing to shoot here" Really? Are you sure? Because there is beauty to be found everywhere and in everything - if you know HOW to look at it.

For the past few weeks, "attractive" subjects have been a little harder to come by (it's just that time of the year, right before some of the more interesting migrations begin) and the only plentiful targets have been Ring Billed Gulls and Canada Geese. So, what else was there to do but focus on gull and geese!

Why bother, you may wonder - a question thats been asked by more than one passer by recently, "they're just trash birds and poopers" a older gentleman recently asked me. Well, if you don't know how to look at them - maybe that's all they are.

The "right" way to look at these creatures is with an open mind. Study a gull for a period of time, they're quite accomplished fishermen! The search patterns they run, identifying a target, followed by sometimes very aggressive dives straight into the water are amazing! More than not, they'll come up with the fish in tow. Also the interaction and behavior of these gulls, interesting and amusing at the same time, as they fight for freshly caught fish and landing spots.

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The same thing goes for geese in my book, fascinating behavior and social interactions. Watch a male put his head to the ground and "growl" and he waddles to an interloper is a blast to watch. And if you catch them in the right light, they're actually very nice looking birds, just like the gulls in the photos above.

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These types of subjects are also very challenging targets, depending on the light. You can really learn a lot by nailing down the exposure of these two - a white bird in an overcast sky is a different shooter's blueprint from a white bird with a dark background. And give it your best shot on a Canada Goose in bright morning light - try not to blow out the white patch between the black neck and head, it's tough!

So find the beauty (and the challenge) in everything, it's out there - if you know how to look for it! Plentiful subjects that can be attractive and offer a nice photographic challenge - sounds good to me!